Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Fisher. He is sanctimonious in his approach. It is simply the same as the Greens political party generally. You will recall in the Queensland election campaign that they went out telling everyone they were going to save the Traveston Crossing dam, then they gave preferences to their mates in the Labor Party, who had committed to building the Traveston Crossing dam. It shows the hypocrisy of the Greens political movement.

Senator Abetz’s magnificent speech last night again highlights the hypocrisy of the Greens political movement. I am distressed about it in my state of Queensland and it is relevant to what is happening now in that the Greens say something to get a vote in the Queensland state election, promise they will hold up—they will ensure the Traveston Crossing dam does not go ahead—and then give preferences to the only political party committed to building that dam. As a result of Greens preferences and Greens support, the Labor Party was returned in Queensland and the Traveston Crossing dam will be built. Who do we thank for that? Senator Brown, in another one of his sanctimonious hypocrisies in the way he approaches issues in this chamber and policy generally.